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FederalDid not become law (session ended)44th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill S-235 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill S-235
Full title
An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
At second reading in the House of Commons
Last updated
Oct 23, 2024

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 44th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the House of Commons
Latest Activity
Oct 23, 2024
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill S-235 provides a citizenship pathway for minors who were in Canadian child welfare care and suspends deportation orders for those applying for citizenship.

What It Means

Bill S-235 amends two federal laws to create a pathway to Canadian citizenship for individuals who were in the care of child welfare agencies or foster parents as minors. It also prevents deportation of such individuals while their citizenship application is being processed.

What This Bill Does
  • Adds new rules to the Citizenship Act (section 5.3) allowing citizenship for people who were in care as minors under specific conditions, such as living in foster homes, institutions, or receiving care services from provincial agencies.
  • Requires applicants to meet residency and presence requirements (e.g., 1,095 days in Canada before applying, no more than 10 years outside Canada since age 18).
  • Allows the Minister to waive certain requirements if they determine compassionate grounds apply.
  • Amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (section 50) to block removal orders from being enforced against individuals applying for citizenship under the new rules until a final decision is made.
Who Is Affected
  • Minors who were in the care of Canadian child welfare agencies, foster parents, or provincial care services.
  • Foreign nationals who were in care as minors and are now applying for Canadian citizenship.
  • Immigration officials handling removal orders for such individuals.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify exact definitions for 'institution' or 'provincial agency' in the care context.
  • The exact criteria for 'compassionate grounds' waiver are not detailed in the text.
  • The interaction between this bill and existing provincial child welfare laws is not explicitly clarified.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Citizenship Act
amended

Creates a new pathway to citizenship for people who were in care as minors, with specific residency and care-related conditions.

Source: Section 5.3

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
amended

Prevents deportation of individuals applying for citizenship under the new care-related pathway until their application is resolved.

Source: Section 50

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Feb 9, 2022
Completed

Bill S-235, concerning amendments to the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, completed its first reading in the Senate on February 9, 2022, and has since advanced through subsequent legislative stages in both the Senate and the House of Commons, where it is currently at second reading.

Introduction and first reading, Feb 9, 2022
End of stage activity, Feb 9, 2022
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Feb 9, 2022

The Senate held its first reading of Bill S-235, an act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and discussed other matters.

Step 2
Second reading
Jun 2, 2023
Completed

The Senate completed its second reading of Bill S-235 on June 2, 2022, advancing the bill to the House of Commons for further consideration.

Second reading, Jun 2, 2023
Referral to committee, Jun 2, 2023
End of stage activity, Jun 2, 2023
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Jun 2, 2022

The Senate began debating Bill S-235, aimed at granting citizenship to minors in foster care who might otherwise face deportation due to the government's failure to secure their citizenship.

During a Senate sitting on June 2, 2022, Senator Mobina S. B. Jaffer moved second reading of Bill S-235, aiming to grant citizenship to minors in government care and prevent their deportation, while extensive tributes were paid to retiring Senator Howard Wetston.

Debate at second reading - Jun 9, 2022

During a Senate sitting on June 9, 2022, other parliamentary business took place, and Bill S-235, an act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, was listed for continued debate at second reading.

Debate at second reading - Apr 20, 2023

The Senate debated amendments to the Radiocommunication Act, focusing on spectrum regulation, licensing, and digital equity for Indigenous communities.

Debate at second reading - Jun 1, 2023

This JSON dataset contains Senate debate records from Canada's 44th Parliament, 1st Session, including speaker remarks, bill discussions, and metadata about the official source texts.

The Senate debated multiple bills and motions on June 1, 2023, including designating March as Hellenic Heritage Month, tax amendments, electoral financing transparency, and criminal code updates, with no final votes recorded for most items.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
May 8, 2024
Completed

The Senate completed its committee review of Bill S-235 on May 8, 2024, but the bill remains at second reading in the House of Commons.

Committee report presented with amendments, May 8, 2024
End of stage activity, May 8, 2024
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented with amendments - May 8, 2024

On 8 May 2024, the Senate held a debate featuring multiple senators discussing climate change, healthcare, economic growth, and Indigenous reconciliation.

Step 4
Report stage
Jun 6, 2024
Completed

The Senate completed the Report stage for Bill S-235 on June 6, 2024, advancing the bill to third reading without altering its legal content.

Committee report adopted, Jun 6, 2024
End of stage activity, Jun 6, 2024
Chamber sittings
Debate at consideration of committee report - May 28, 2024

The Senate debates transcripts from March 2023 cover motions related to Islamophobia, media inquiry, Indigenous education, climate change legislation, and mental health advocacy, with procedural discussions about parliamentary rules and motion handling.

Committee report adopted - Jun 6, 2024

The Senate debated bills related to voting age, legislative authority, and gender equality, with references to international examples and procedural motions.

Step 5
Third reading
Oct 3, 2024
Completed

The Senate completed its third reading of Bill S-235 on October 3, 2024, advancing the bill to the House of Commons for its second reading.

Third reading, Oct 3, 2024
End of stage activity, Oct 3, 2024
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Jun 13, 2024

The Senate debated bills related to economic resilience, environmental justice, Indigenous governance, and agricultural land policies, with no formal votes recorded in the provided official text.

Third reading - Oct 3, 2024

Senate debates on October 3, 2024, focused on procedural discussions of bills S-250, S-229, and C-291, with senators questioning timelines, legal definitions, and implementation impacts without reaching final votes.

Step 1
First reading
Oct 23, 2024
Completed

Bill S-235 completed its first reading in the House of Commons on October 23, 2024, marking the formal introduction of the bill to the chamber, with the bill now proceeding to second reading.

First reading, Oct 23, 2024
End of stage activity, Oct 23, 2024
Chamber sittings
First reading - Oct 23, 2024

The House of Commons debated allegations of government misconduct, economic data transparency, and conflicts of interest, with the government defending its actions and opposition parties demanding accountability.

Step 2
Second reading
Date not listed
No activity

Bill S-235 is currently at the Second Reading stage in the House of Commons, a phase for debating the bill's core principles, with no specific activity recorded in this artifact.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-235 has reached the Consideration in committee stage in the House of Commons, but this stage has not yet taken place, with previous readings and committee meetings already having occurred.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

The House of Commons has scheduled the report stage for Bill S-235, concerning amendments to citizenship and immigration law, for May 28 and June 6, 2024.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

The House of Commons Third Reading stage for Bill S-235 has not yet occurred, with the bill having gone through earlier stages and awaiting further progression.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Mobina S.B. Jaffer
Senator | Details not listed in current Senate roster
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced